FEBRUARY 9

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES

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Psalm 62:2

“He only is my rock and my salvation;  He is my defense;  I shall not be greatly moved.”

Psalm 94:22

“But the Lord has been my defense,   and my God the rock of my refuge.”

2 Samuel 22:2

“And he said: “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;”

2 Samuel 22:47

“The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let God be exalted, The Rock of my salvation!”

Psalm 18:46

“The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted.”

Psalm 31:3

“For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead me and guide me.”

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Our book for this month  is called “100 NAMES OF GOD”  written by Christopher D. Hudson.  Each day we’ll take one Hebrew name for God as given in the Bible to study and relate to.

EL SELA

GOD MY ROCK

“Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.” Psalm 31:3

For over a decade, Chevrolet sold millions of trucks using the slogan “like a rock.”

It’s not hard to see the appeal.  Rocks are solid, protective, and durable, long -lasting, and strong.  A giant rock (think “Gibraltar”) symbolizes everything we wish we had in life:

Steady beliefs,  Security,   Solid marriage,  Firm finances,  Stable job,  and Enduring friendships.

By nature, though, all earthly things fail.  “Rock-like” friends and families eventually disappoint.  Solid blue-chip companies have layoffs.  “Foolproof” financial plans go south.  And, yes, even the best trucks eventually wear out!  Given enough time, all our strongest and biggest rocks (both literal and metaphorical disintegrate.

All except for one;  the divine Rock.  When God identifies Himself using the image of a rock, He’s contrasting the infinite, eternal security He provides with the shifting sands of manmade “rock substitutes.”

Notice how David amplifies his word picture.  Because God is a rock, we can find refuge in Him.  In other words, we can run to Him and hide in Him.  And when we do, we are safe (Proverb 18:10).

David wasn’t just using this example because it conveyed God’s strength:  he knew the truth from real-life experience.  He spent more than a decade trying to stay one step ahead of the murderous King Saul.  For years David took shelter behind real boulders, and he spent countless nights in stony caves across the Judean wilderness.  Despite a lot of scary moments, David was always safe in God’s hands.

Centuries later, Jesus would highlight the profound difference between God’s kingdom and the kingdom of this world using rock and sand imagery (Matthew 7:24-27).  His point?  When we build our lives on the shaky foundations of money, beauty, social status, and a multitude of earthly trappings, we’re like a sand castle built too close to the water’s edge.

But when we humbly trust God, standing on His character and His truth, we find unearthly stability, power, wisdom, supernatural comfort, and security – even in the midst of great turmoil and uncertainty.

God is our rock; everything else is sand – or quicksand!

What comes to mind when you consider God as your Rock?

PRAYER

Dear God, I want to trust You as my Rock.  Too often I seek security through my own strength, career, relationships or a temporary situation.  Please help me ground my hope in the stability only You can provide.  Amen

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